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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

DEA agents under investigation for hiring prostitutes in Colombia

Prostitutes in Cartagena

The Secret Service sex scandal has led to an unrelated probe of three federal Drug EnforcementAdministration agents who are suspected of hiring hookers in Colombia.

The trio of DEA agents are being eyed for cavorting with prostitutes in the city of Cartagena at about the same time 12 Secret Service agents and a dozen military personnel were romping with ladies of the night.

The Justice Department’s Inspector General’s office confirmed the probe into possible misconduct by the DEA agents, but said it was unrelated to the Secret Service prostitution scandal.

The new allegations surfaced when a Secret Service agent was being grilled about the Colombia investigation and blabbed about DEA agents also allegedly dabbling in Cartagena’s flesh market, sources briefed on the matter told CBS News.

The DEA insisted it is making the suspected agents available for investigators to interview.

The agency, which has agents permanently stationed in Colombia, said in a statement that it “takes allegations of misconduct very seriously, and will take appropriate personnel action, if warranted, upon the conclusion of the investigation.”

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a ranking Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said at least two DEA agents were being investigated for hiring masseuses to come to a Cartagena apartment.

“It’s disturbing that we may be uncovering a troubling culture that spans more than one law enforcement agency,” Collins said Monday night.

“In addition to the Secret Service scandal, we now learn that at least two DEA agents apparently entertained female foreign national masseuses in the Cartagena apartment of one of the agents,” Collins continued.

“The evidence uncovered thus far indicates that this likely was not just a one-time incident.”

Collins said she was briefed on the allegations against the DEA agents on May 4. “I was asked to withhold public comment until the agents could be extracted from Colombia and questioned,” Collins added, noting that she was updated on the investigation on Friday.

The new charges come a month after the Secret Service scandal dealt President Obama a foreign policy embarrassment as he arrived in Cartagena for a regional summit.

The scandal broke when one of the agents, two-timing hubby Arthur Huntington, stiffed hottie-for-hire Dania Suarez by offering her less than $30 for an $800 pleasure tab.